Sunday, September 21, 2008

While watching the Ryder Cup today I heard Paul Azinger say something to the effect of "Then (American Ryder Cup rookie) Boo got up there and told us the story about the time he wrestled that Orangutan." I called my friend the Diamond who is a golf enthusiast, he said that he'd heard of the story but doesn't know the story. So I Googled it and read the following in The Belfast Telegraph.

"I have denied this story even though it happened 20 years ago, as I could see the animal-rights people protesting," admitted Weekley. "I don't think orangutan fighting goes on any more which is probably a good thing." In short, the then 16-year-old was persuaded by his mates at a county fair to try to win $50 by climbing into the ring with the orangutan and he then remembers two things. The first was having to sign a waiver – "looking back that was a bad sign" – and the second was "waking up bleeding in the back of a friend's pick-up". It is fair to say the ape had unwittingly struck a blow for the animal kingdom.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's awesome! Of course I feel bad that an Orangutan was subjected to all that, of course. Sucks for the Orangutan, obviously, but it's an amazing story for Boo. I'm glad a man like that is representing my country in an international competition. He's an Iraq War veteran, so he's battle-tested AND Orangutan-tested. Look for the U.S. to romp in the Ryder Cup.

UPDATE: BOO WON HIS MATCH!!!! The extensive primate-based training worked! He has been a crowd favorite all weekend playing to an endearing chorus of "Booooo!"s all week. If Arnold Palmer's followers were Arnie's Army, Boo's following should be called the Boo-bies. You heard it here first.